Simbiotic and Sustainable Ecosystem Management
I have been always emphasizing giving livestock grazing a chance to heal our ecosystems back to the sustainable, healthy, and protected status. I strongly believe that Nature created animals (millennia of evolution) to perform a role, yes a role – “to serve the Ecosystems”.
We all are the actors/players of the ecosystems, including fauna and flora, microorganisms, and nonliving things like water, winds, landscapes, etc. We as a team of players can keep our ecosystems in a good state of health and functionality. An ecosystem is livable but if it slowers or statics in functionality, life becomes difficult and unhealthy leading to the sickness of Mother Earth. When we pull back the role of a player (like grazing of livestock in some ecosystems), the functionality of the others is affected negatively.https://arkbiodiv.com/2021/07/06/give-the-livestock-its-original-role-the-grazing-and-recover-the-losses/amp/
My friend Christina Adams, the author of an interesting book ‘CAMEL CRAZY’ shares the story of a goat project supporting my philosophy ‘GIVING THE LIVESTOCK A CHANCE TO HEAL OUR ECOSYSTEMS‘, grazing in Laguna Beach, California USA. I really appreciate the role of Christina Adams in advocating the natural and extensive livestock production systems all over the world. She has traveled a lot and met the livestock keepers in different corners of the world. https://christinaadamsauthor.com/bio/
Each year, Peruvian goats visit Laguna Beach to eat away the fuel source for any potential fire. They do a fantastic job too, mowing the canyon hills bare one section at a time. Walk along the fire access roads between MOULTON MEADOWS and TOP OF THE WORLD Parks and you might see the goats hard at work.
The Importance of Livestock Grazing has Started Realization
The importance of livestock grazing has been realized more than before as there are many fire incidents in 2020 and this year 2021, the number of fire incidents is incredibly more than before. In the link below you can read some of the losses mentioned from the fire in California, which are heart-wrenching. https://twitter.com/i/events/1420765678718439430?s=12. We can see the sky-touching flames on television screens in Turkey, Canada, the USA, Russia, and some southern European countries. The residents in Athens are warned to stay indoors as the air quality is too bad because of the smoke of fires. In most of the cases, the fires erupted in the regions where livestock grazing was restricted and the piled-up dry grasses and bushes worked as petrol bombs. Therefore, I appeal again and again to please allow livestock grazing in the regions where it was restricted. The ecosystems are not for (poorly defined beauty) tourist attractions but a functional mechanism of Mother Earth to sustain health and productivity. https://arkbiodiv.com/2021/07/06/give-the-livestock-its-original-role-the-grazing-and-recover-the-losses/amp/
Christina Adams says “I enjoy seeing pastoral animals and a herder here in a town only one hour south of Los Angeles. It reminds me of how important pastoral people are even that close to a major world city“. Christina Adams often climbs the paths in the hills of Laguna Beach and sees the goatherd in his trailer because he stays near the flock. They are In different parts of Laguna and he moves his trailer home with them.
She says that “Children love seeing the goats. They don’t see livestock often here so it’s a treat for them and all of us. This way the project makes a strong connection between the goats and human beings.
Conclusion
Livestock is not a problem but a solution. We should reconsider its role and realized its importance in ecosystem services. We should advocate the ecosystem service of the livestock and be aware the people about the role of livestock other than food production. Livestock grazing not only minimise the risk of fire hazards but also enrich soil fertility and revitalize the ecosystems.
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